Microsoft Officially Unveils Zune

As
expected, Microsoft on Thursday took the wraps off its Zune portable
media player, set to be available in time for the holidays. Zune
features a 30GB hard drive, wireless connectivity and will come in
three colors. But pricing has not been decided.

Microsoft
confirmed a number of expected features about its new player, which is
being manufactured by Toshiba and has become one of the worst kept
secrets in the technology industry. Zune sports a three-inch LCD
display that can be viewed in portrait or landscape mode, and includes
a built-in FM tuner.

The device will be available in three styles -- black, brown and white -- and the interface can be customized with pictures.

But
connectivity is what Microsoft hopes will set Zune apart from its
competitors, and give it a shot at lessening Apple's dominance in
digital music. With built-in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, users will be able to
share selected full-length sample tracks, homemade recordings,
playlists and pictures with other Zune users wirelessly. Not all songs
will support sharing, however.

"The digital music entertainment
revolution is just beginning,” remarked Zune lead J Allard. "With
Zune, we are not simply delivering a portable device, we are
introducing a new platform that helps bring artists closer to their
audiences and helps people find new music and develop new social
connections."

Songs shared with others can be listened to up to
three times in three days. The idea, of course, is that if a user likes
a track their friend has sent them, he or she will go purchase it from
the Zune Marketplace. The Marketplace is Microsoft's new online music
store that will offer a la carte downloads and a subscription service
called Zune Pass.

Zune Marketplace will also support Microsoft Points, which were developed for the Xbox Live Marketplace and can be purchased as gift cards at a variety of retail outlets.

Other
features of Zune include the ability to import music from iTunes and
Windows Media Player, although songs purchased from Apple will not be
compatible with the player. Software upgrades will also be provided by
Microsoft, which says the future is filled with possibilities due to
the built-in wireless capability.

Zune is slated to go on sale in
the coming months, but no specific launch date was announced Thursday.
Also noticeably missing from the Zune unveiling was a price. But
Microsoft did announce three accessory packs, also without prices: the
Zune Car Pack, A/V Pack and Travel Pack.